This is obviously an important question parent need to know when they are considering taking their family on a Disney World Vacation. How do you know if a Disney World vacation is affordable?
This is a very tricky question to answer. It’s not because we’re trying to be shady or elusive. It’s because there are SO MANY variables that all affect the ultimate price that you will pay for a Disney World trip. Variables like time of travel, the number of people traveling, ages of your children, transportation costs, the length of stay and level of hotel amenities will all affect the final price you pay. The good news is that Disney World Vacation is definitely not a “one size fits all” vacation. It’s actually mind-boggling a number of vacation choices that are available. The good news is a Disney world vacation can be tailor made to custom fit the exact needs of your family and budget.
Walt Disney World has some incredible souvenirs. Guests often have a difficult time resisting the adorable mouse ears, t-shirts and other Mickey and princess’ laden items that line the gift shops. Setting aside a souvenir budget for each family member or the family as a whole is a great idea. Beat the rush and save the budget by stocking up on Disney gear for your family before your trip by ordering during sales online at The Disney Store or by visiting department and discount stores for Disney merchandise. Planning ahead and bringing vacation necessities like hats, swim goggles, sunscreen and other must have items can also save the vacation budget by ensuring you don’t waste souvenir money by buying non-Disney items on the property. The souvenir budget can easily be scaled back to save even more.
1. Souvenirs
Walt Disney World has some incredible souvenirs. Guests often have a difficult time resisting the adorable mouse ears, t-shirts and other Mickey and princess-laden items that line the gift shops. Setting aside a souvenir budget for each family member or the family as a whole is a great idea. Beat the rush and save the budget by stocking up on Disney gear for your family before your trip by ordering during sales online at The Disney Store or by visiting department and discount stores for Disney merchandise. Planning ahead and bringing vacation necessities like hats, swim goggles, sunscreen and other must have items can also save the vacation budget by ensuring you don’t waste souvenir money by buying non-Disney items on the property. The souvenir budget can easily be scaled back to save even more. Allocating between thirty and one hundred dollars per adult is a great range to score a few great souvenirs on the property.
2. Transportation
Lucky for you Disney transportation on the property is free. Unfortunately, the cost of traveling to the happiest place on earth can be quite expensive. Depending on where you are traveling from the time of year and family size; flights, car rental, and fuel costs could quickly creep to a hefty sum for your trip. Traveling outside of peak season, using sky miles and other discount options are great ways to save on flights. The magical express is a Disney resort shuttle that transports guests from the airport to the resort completely free of cost. Transportation costs for your Disney vacation could range from one hundred dollars for those driving from a bordering state to well over a thousand for families flying into Orlando.
3. Incidentals
Occasionally surprise needs do pop on a vacation. The umbrella and ponchos you forgot, cold weather gear you did not know you would need or over the counter medication you forgot to pack will all cost a bit more to replace on the Disney property. The obvious remedy is to plan ahead and cover all your bases when packing for a Disney vacation. In the event, you do have to cave and purchase necessities on Disney property budget twenty to one hundred dollars toward the possibility of incidental costs.
4. Lodging
The Disney property is a fun and often an affordable place to stay on your vacation. Room prices at value resorts start at around one hundred dollars a night depending on the season. Room rates increase in price and luxury and span a hundred dollars a night on up past five hundred dollars a night for deluxe hotels during peak season on the property. For many families, hotel costs are one of the largest budget items on a trip. Decreasing hotel costs can be done without sacrificing a room on the property. Flexibility on arrival and departure days, booking during a special Disney savings event, or purchasing DVC rooms through an outside Disney Vacation Club broker are all options guests may explore to reduce hotel costs. Annual pass holders also enjoy additional hotel savings during special pass holder booking events.
5. Dining
The cost of eating can add up quickly on any vacation. Depending on the family and dining preference, some families may have a food budget that matches or exceeds their daily lodging budget. Families eating walk up dining for three meals a day should expect to pay at least forty dollars per person, per day. Adding in the extra cost of snacks and coffee to a daily budget could raise the cost to around fifty dollars a day per family member. Exploring the cost of the Disney dining plan, bringing your own food in the parks or sharing meals with another family member are all easy ways to save a few dollars on Disney dining.
6. Tickets
Ticket costs add up quickly when budgeting for a Walt Disney World vacation. New ticket pricing debuted in 2017 and changed up the way families view ticket purchases. Ticket price now varies with season, the number of days you are purchasing, as well as the park you are visiting. While this change in ticket pricing does give guests the opportunity to choose the lower traffic season’s cheaper tickets it also results in families with school-aged children paying the highest ticket prices during the most expensive vacation seasons. Guests over ten years old visiting during peak season can expect to pay around one hundred and twenty-four dollars a day for a Magic Kingdom ticket.
